State Rep. Adam Ravenstahl is inviting local residents to participate in a community presentation on the opioid crisis, Wednesday, Nov. 8, 6 p.m. at the Northgate Middle/Senior High School, 591 Union Ave., in Bellevue. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.

“Addiction can happen to anyone, and combatting the opioid crisis will require everyone’s involvement,” Ravenstahl said. “Please join us to learn about the epidemic and what can be done to ease the toll it is taking.”

Police Chief Beaver Micklos asked Ben Avon Council to consider installing cameras in various locations in the borough. He said they are quite sophisticated, and do not involve a lot of cost once they are up. He mentioned in particular an LPR – license plate reader – that focuses on reading license plates.

Emsworth Volunteer Fire Company has a supply of 9 volt batteries that can be used in most smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, that will be given free of charge to any Emsworth resident who either owns or rents property in the borough.

Residents can stop by the fire station bay doors at 171 Center Ave., on Halloween, Oct. 31, 6-8 p.m. to receive their batteries, while supplies last.

Batteries in smoke detectors should be changed at each Standard and Daylight Savings time change of the year.

Motions passed to spend an amount not to exceed $10,000 on preventive maintenance; to spend an amount not to exceed $16,000 on spot liners; and to spend an amount not to exceed $10,000 on spot lining repair work. Each motion passed unanimously.

Ben Avon Council voted unanimously at Tuesday’s meeting to adopt an ordinance that will allow volunteer firefighters and other emergency service providers to receive tax credits for their local earned income tax.

The service providers would reach out to their community of residence to apply for the credit. Ken Opipery was absent.

The Northgate School District will be adding some programs to its existing arsenal in an attempt to improve students’ learning and test performance, and to increase the district’s performance ranking both locally and across the state.

Bellevue officials and residents got a reminder of how difficult it is to address blighted properties in the borough, but also heard at Tuesday’s meeting about a program that might provide a new tool in the ongoing battle.

Bellevue officials and residents got a reminder of how difficult it is to address blighted properties in the borough, but also heard at Tuesday’s meeting about a program that might provide a new tool in the ongoing battle.

The Marian Hall Home soup sale will run through Friday, April 20, 2018.

Each week, three soup varieties will be offered, each for $5 per quart. The selections repeat every six weeks.

Orders must be called in by noon each Thursday at (412)761-6004, for pick up on Friday beginning at 1 p.m. at Marian Hall, on the campus of Mount Assisi Convent in the Bellevue/Ross area. For GPS, use 1515 Quaill Ave., Pittsburgh, PA 15202.

There will be a number of new names on the ballot and lots of offices to be filled by voters on election day, Nov. 7.

Vacancies created by resignations will have to be filled, adding several new seats to the ballot, and primary election write-in votes have created a potentially confusing array of choices for the municipal election voter.
Avonworth

Voters in Ben Avon, Emsworth, Ben Avon Heights, Kilbuck Township and Ohio Township will elect four members to the Avonworth School Board. All are running for four-year terms.

An updated borough seal and logo will soon begin appearing throughout Avalon.

Pictured here, the seal, created by borough manager Lorraine Makatura and assistant manager Brian O’Malley, pays tribute to the many apple orchards that covered the borough when it changed from West Bellevue to Avalon in 1875. “Avalon” is Welsh for apple orchard.

At their September meeting, Emsworth Council members continued discussing aspects of an ordinance draft requiring a camera inspection of sewer lines both before and after construction.

The purpose of the planned ordinance is to determine if damage to a sewer line took place when the line was worked on. If damage occurred, then the person/contractor who caused it will be held responsible. Likewise, a camera inspection of lines before work is performed can verify the extent of already-present damage.

Ben Avon Council voted unanimously to advertise an ordinance that would allow volunteer firefighters and other emergency service providers to receive tax credits. Based on Act 172, the borough can determine the amount of credit available for a volunteer's local earned income tax.

Council president Earl Bohn pointed out that the "rebate follows residency, not the area of service," meaning that a firefighter who lives in Emsworth, but volunteers in Ben Avon, would reach out to Emsworth to receive the credit. It is up to the volunteers to contact their local officials to apply.

Some long-awaited construction projects are about to get underway in Bellevue.

Engineer Ben Gilberti told Bellevue Council at its pre-council session on Tuesdaythat work will begin next week on the West Riverview Avenue retaining wall. The collapse of the wall closed a major artery into Bellevue for several years until funding for the project was available.

The commemoration of Bellevue’s sesquicentennial may stretch far and wide, as council approved a motion by council member Tom Hrynda to donate leftover t-shirts to an organization providing disaster relief in Texas and Florida.

The borough also will donate several boxes of t-shirts purchased years ago for an event canceled due to bad weather.

Many of the local firefighters today are much too young to remember that early morning on Aug. 31, 1981, when the unthinkable happened.

Firefighters from throughout the North Boroughs had converged on Union Avenue in Avalon to fight a ferocious residential fire. Avalon volunteer firefighter William E. “Pete” Moss was one of them. Moss stood beside the Avalon snorkel truck, one foot on the running board, the other on the ground, when the top of the truck hit a live electrical line. Moss was electrocuted and died in the line of duty.